What happened
During my 2024 campaign for Spring Branch ISD School Board, an anonymous website — SaveSBISD.org — published a vicious smear campaign filled with defamatory claims. It was not "community debate." It was designed to intimidate, poison the information environment, and decide an election from the shadows.
SaveSBISD had operated since June 2021 as an unregistered political committee: yard signs without required "Paid for by" disclosures, mass text blasts to thousands of voters urging "vote no," and other activity that Texas campaign finance law requires to be reported. Violations cited include Texas Election Code §§ 252.001, 253.031, and 255.001.
In August 2024 I filed Matthew Cone v. John Doe, Cause No. 2024-52944, in the 189th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas. After months of litigation, attorneys at Scheef & Stone, LLP used subpoenaed records to identify the operator: Brian Muecke — former Mayor of Hedwig Village and self-proclaimed "Director of the Villages Intelligence Agency."
Muecke was simultaneously co-chair of the SBISD School Finance Advocacy Team — a position of trust — while funding SaveSBISD activity from his credit card (June 2021–June 2024). He enlisted allies including candidates and operatives to advance smear tactics against me and others.
On June 2, 2025, a Texas Ethics Commission complaint (SC-32505243) was filed against Muecke and SaveSBISD. The matter has proceeded through TEC process, including preliminary review hearings.
I own the SaveSBISD trademark. I am working with counsel to stop unauthorized use of that brand and to protect my reputation from ongoing falsehoods. This page is the authorized public summary of that record.
Trademark notice
SaveSBISD® is a trademark of Matthew T. Cone. The website at savesbisd.org is not authorized by, affiliated with, or endorsed by the trademark owner. Any association of that domain with legitimate district advocacy under the SaveSBISD mark is unauthorized.